Alcaraz and Nadal to Team Up for Olympic Doubles

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz are set to pair up in doubles for Spain at the upcoming Paris Olympics, the Spanish tennis federation announced Wednesday.

This news comes just three days after 21-year-old Alcaraz claimed his first French Open title, marking his third Grand Slam victory.

The Olympic tennis matches will take place on the same courts used annually for the French Open, where Nadal has a record 14 titles.

Alcaraz, participating in his first Olympics, is widely regarded as Nadal's successor in Spanish tennis. He has often expressed that Nadal was his childhood idol.

"Rafa and Carlos will be playing together in Paris," announced Spain captain David Ferrer while revealing the squad.

Winning an Olympic medal is one of Alcaraz's top career goals. Following his triumph at Roland Garros, he stated that he would prioritize an Olympic gold medal over defending his Wimbledon title this year.

"The Olympic Games are every four years and it's a special tournament where you're not only playing for yourself, but for a country, representing every Spaniard," said the world No. 2-ranked Alcaraz. "I think this year I'd choose Olympic gold."

The 38-year-old Nadal, who will also compete in singles, already has Olympic gold medals in singles (2008) and doubles (2016 with Marc Lopez) to complement his 22 Grand Slam titles.

Nadal, who exited in the first round at Roland Garros this year after losing to Alexander Zverev, has indicated that this is likely his final year on tour following a series of injuries.

Joining Nadal and Alcaraz on Spain's men's Olympic team are Pablo Carreno Busta, Alejandro Davidovich, and Marcel Granollers.

Captain Anabel Medina selected No. 55 Sara Sorribes Tormo and No. 67 Cristina Bucsa for the women's team, with Paula Badosa opting out of competition as she has only two more events left while using her protected ranking.